Fitness Favorites

As you know, I’ve been on a bit of a health kick lately. Without the right tools, it’s basically impossible to stay motivated. I’ve made a list of my favorite fitness accessories that help me stay energized and injury-free:

If you live somewhere cold (or go to school somewhere that gets cold), some sort of hat or headband and gloves are musts. The cold air makes it hard enough to breathe when you’re exercising outside, so you definitely don’t want achy fingers and ears from the cold. I recommend getting tech gloves so you can change songs on your phone or iPod while you’re exercising. In terms of tech, a pair of wireless headphones, an iPod shuffle, and a fitbit are all great investments. I’m not the most coordinated person in the world and have been known to get tangled up in my headphone wires, so wireless earbuds are lifesavers. I also might be known to drop my phone when I’m trying to run with it, but the iPod shuffle clips on to your clothes and is lightweight- perfect for exercising. The fitbit tracks everything from sleep to steps and really makes you conscious of your habits- and a lot of studies suggest that being more conscious of your sleeping/eating/exercising patterns make you better about getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising more. Now, why two pairs of shoes? If you’re working out a lot, it’s really important to have trainers and running shoes. They’re designed for different types of motion, so if you’re running in trainers or training in running shoes you’re more likely to get injured. A lot of sporting goods stores have treadmills to analyze your gait, and it’s definitely worth doing. Spend some time having your feet analyzed so you get the shoe that is best for you specifically and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Personally, I run well in Brooks but train better in Nike- that’s not the same for everyone. As tempting as it is, don’t just go for shoes because they’re cute or on sale. Let us know if you have any fitness favs in the comments so we can check them out! xoxo, Kate “My trainer literally laughed at me bc I was struggling so much this morning”